


The Unexpected has a way of surprising you

by JenJo



Series: 52 Short Stories in 52 Weeks [21]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deaf Clint Barton, M/M, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 19:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7066477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’ve been busy-”<br/>“Blowing up my employment, yeah.” Clint offered him a smile, and put down his empty pot of coffee. “Saw that. I was just about ready to come back too. Finally cleared my head. Then I find out you blew it up.”<br/>“It was more complicated than that-”<br/>Clint held up a hand. “Tasha told me everything. So, I’m going to ask again. Why are you here Rogers?”<br/>“I wanted to ask a favour of you.”<br/>“The Avengers getting back together?”<br/>Steve shook his head. “Sort of, but that’s not what I’m here to ask. How much do you know about the Winter Soldier?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unexpected has a way of surprising you

**Author's Note:**

> 22\. A story written from the perspective of someone dead/undead  
> But no. So I thought it was featuring a dead body. And I noped out of that.  
> Technically speaking? This is background for my NaNo this year. I decided to use the opportunity to figure out how these two got together in the universe I'm creating. (And technically that story has a dead person, but you're not interested in that are you?)  
> Kinda vignette-esque, so there's time jumps, and not everything's explained.  
> Shrugs.  
> (Also it's my birthday tomorrow, so no one can stop me from writing Winterhawk fluff.)
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy.

“Rogers?” Clint blinked, taking in the man standing outside of his apartment.

“Clint, may I come in?” For such a tall man, he really could make himself look small. Clint stepped back, allowing him entry. Steve took in the apartment with a casual glance (not at all like how he would take in a battlefield), before turning to Clint. “How have you been?”

Clint blinked again; Steve was in jeans, a tshirt, and a leather jacket. Clint was in a tracksuit, and nothing else. “Why are you here?”

“May I sit down?” Clint pointed at the couch; Steve sat down, while Clint sat on the coffee table. “I wanted to check on you.”

Clint picked up the pot of coffee he had been drinking out of, and stared at Steve over the top of it. “I haven’t seen you in two years. Seems like a strange time to be checking up on me.” Clint took a drink, before narrowing his eyes at Steve. “How’d you find me?”

“Natasha.”

Clint shook his head. “Of course. Must be important, if she told you where I live.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been by sooner,” Steve looked straight at Clint as he spoke, but his hands were fidgeting in his lap. “I’ve been busy-”

“Blowing up my employment, yeah.” Clint offered him a smile, and put down his empty pot of coffee. “Saw that. I was just about ready to come back too. Finally cleared my head. Then I find out you blew it up.”

“It was more complicated than that-”

Clint held up a hand. “Tasha told me everything. So, I’m going to ask again. Why are you here Rogers?”

Steve looked down, taking a breath before looking up at Clint. “I wanted to ask a favour of you.”

“The Avengers getting back together?”

Steve shook his head. “Sort of, but that’s not what I’m here to ask. How much do you know about the Winter Soldier?”

“Nat told me; ninety year old assassin who was your best friend.”

Steve nodded. “I’ve spent the past year trying to reconnect with him. And I’ve succeeded, mostly. I need to go away for a bit, and he needs somewhere to stay.”

Clint blinked slowly at Steve, before rubbing his ear. “Okay, sometimes these things make me hear things. But it sounds like you want me to baby sit  _ the Winter Soldier _ .”

Steve shrugged a shoulder. “You heard right. Mostly. He’s fine, just needs someone to watch his back.”

“And you want me not on this secret mission of yours?”

Steve looked almost regretful. “You’re not cleared for duty. And, not required.” Steve held up his hands. “Not my words.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard them before,” Clint rolled his eyes; he’d heard  _ not cleared for duty  _ too many times in his career, though it had never stopped him before. “So, where are the Avengers going?”

“Classified,” Steve’s lips twisted in a smile. “Sorry.”

Clint shrugged. “Whatever. When is the Soldier getting here?”

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. Clint sighed.

“He’s here already, isn’t he?”

Steve nodded, standing up to open the front door. He returned, followed by the Winter Soldier. He was also in jeans and a jacket, and had a backpack with him.

“Clint, this is Bucky,” Steve led Bucky to the couch, before sitting next to him. “Bucky, this is Clint. He’s going to let you stay here for a while.”

Bucky looked at Clint, and moved his hands.

[Secure]

Clint blinked, before nodding. “Yeah, we’re secure. You know sign?”

Bucky shrugged, looking to Steve. “How long?”

Steve titled his head side to side. “Not sure. Maybe a month?”

Bucky nodded. “We’ll be fine.”

Steve nodded, putting a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, before turning to Clint. “You?”

Clint shrugged. “Well, it’s not as though I can kick him out now, is it?”

Steve was about to reply, when his mobile phone played a tune. “Ah, Natasha says time to go.” Steve stood up, and looked at the two men. “Thank you.”

“Better not leave her waiting,” Clint made a shooing motion with his hands; Steve smiled, and left the apartment.

Clint turned to look at Bucky, who was staring at Clint with a tilted head. “What?”

Bucky’s lip quirked up at the corner, before his hands were moving again. [You have a nice body.]

“What?” Clint blinked, before looking down at his state of (un)dress, “Aww, shirt, no. To be fair, I wasn’t expecting company when I got up this morning.” Clint stood up. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”

Bucky shook his head, watching Clint leave the room. 

When Clint returned, Bucky was writing in a notebook. When he heard Clint, he quickly closed the book and put it back in his bag.

“So…” Clint trailed off, sitting on the coffee table again. Bucky raised an eyebrow at him. “What do we do?”

Bucky shrugged. 

Clint tapped on his leg. “See, this is the part of the day where I go down to the basement and shoot some arrows.” A brief glimpse of surprise crossed Bucky’s face. “Yeah, I shoot a bow and arrow on a team with a super soldier. Surprised?”

Bucky shook his head. “I’ve heard of you. You haven’t been on any missions for a while.”

Clint nodded. “Yeah. And now that Shield’s gone, I probably won’t be for a while.”

“I am your mission.”

Clint sighed internally at the look of blankness on Bucky’s face. “Hey, no. You’re not a mission. Do you want to come and shoot some stuff?”

Surprise flickered across Bucky’s face, before disappearing again. “You would trust me with a weapon?”

Clint shrugged. “Well, in all fairness, there are a lot of weapons in this apartment. It’s not like I can avoid you having access to a weapon.”

Bucky looked away for a moment, before offering Clint a small smile, and a nod.

  
  


Shooting arrows turned out to be a thing that Bucky wasn’t great at, but it put a smile on his face. 

(And if Clint purposefully exaggerated some of his tips in order to help put that smile on Bucky’s face? Well, there was no one around to call him out on it.)

  
  


“I have to tell you something,” Bucky said, late at night just as Clint was thinking about going to sleep.

Clint raised an eyebrow, and waved at Bucky to continue.

Bucky thought for a moment, before turning to face Clint on the couch. Clint turned also, to watch Bucky’s hands. [When I sleep. Sometimes. Scream.]

Bucky’s face kept twisting; he wasn’t finding the signs he wanted. Clint reached forward, holding Bucky’s hands. “I get you. The bedroom is soundproof. You can sleep in there.”

Bucky blinked, before nodding. “Why?”

Clint shrugged, letting go of Bucky. “I spent a while with the nightmares. They woke the neighbours who were concerned for me.” Clint offered Bucky a twisted smile. “I didn’t want their concern, so I had the room soundproofed.”

Bucky nodded. “Where will you sleep?”

Clint patted the couch. “This is not the worst thing I’ve ever slept on; most nights nowadays, I sleep out here anyway.”

Bucky nodded, before going to the bedroom.

When Clint awoke the next morning, he was surprised that he had slept through the entire night. When Bucky emerged after midday, he also looked as though he had slept.

 

\\\\\\\\\

 

Two months since Bucky arrived, and Steve was still on assignment.

Clint sat on his countertop, waiting for the coffee pot to boil. The routine was fairly straightforward; Clint was always up first. He knew Bucky was awake, but wouldn’t leave the room much before noon. Clint would provide food, Bucky would clean the apartment.

Clint had never asked for it; Bucky had started a week after arriving. When Clint asked about it, Bucky had shrugged, and said it helped him to relax.

(The apartment had never been cleaner.)

Conversations between the pair were growing, but still nowhere near what you would expect from two people living together. They found a couple of things in common, but some days it was clear that each needed to be alone.

(The range down in the basement of the building, with keys held only by those codenamed Hawkeye, got more use these days in all it’s existence previously). 

 

\\\\\\\\\

 

Six months in, and Steve was still on assignment. Only now, it was an Avengers Assignment, officially. Complete with reports in the media.

And Clint was officially on a covert assignment, if anyone asked. 

(No one asked.)

Clint sat on his countertop, drinking his pot of coffee as he watched Bucky stretch in the living room. They were comfortable around each other these days.

A little too comfortable, if anyone was observing from the outside.

Neither man had a shirt on. For Clint, that was normal. For Bucky, it was only a recent occurrence. He wasn’t self conscious of the scars, but he didn’t like the reminder of the arm.

Clint had his fair share of scars. Neither man talked about them too much.

Bucky had become more talkative in the past four months. He would often joke with Clint, and with others they passed in the apartment complex, or at the grocery store.

Bucky stood up, stretching his torso out in a way that highlighted just how much muscle he had. Clint choked on his coffee, hiding it by coughing into his arm.

Bucky had noticed though, and laughed. “Like what you see, Barton?”

Clint put the coffee pot aside, and titled his head. “I don’t know, I think I need a closer look.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, but stepped into the kitchen. “I thought you see better from a distance?”

Clint shrugged. “I do. But sometimes, I like to touch.”

Bucky walked forward, until he was standing in between Clint’s legs. “Is this close enough?” He asked, breath ghosting across Clint’s mouth.

Clint leant forward to press their lips together. 

Bucky froze for a moment, before putting his hands behind Clint’s head and pulling him closer.

Clint replied enthusiastically, putting his hands around Bucky’s shoulders and wrapping his legs around Bucky’s hips.

They eventually broke apart for air, resting their foreheads together.

“Woah,” Clint exhaled, and Bucky laughed.

“Good woah?”

“Best woah,” Clint pressed a kiss to Bucky’s lips, before pulling back to look at Bucky, a slight edge of worry creeping into his eyes. “You?”

Bucky ran his hands through Clint’s hair, eventually resting them on Clint’s cheeks. “Best woah, indeed.”

The smile on Clint’s face threatened to split his head open. “Good. One off or..”

Bucky answered by pulling Clint in for another kiss.

  
  


“You know,” Clint said, head resting on Bucky’s shoulder. “We should probably talk about this.”

The pair had relocated to the couch, experiencing a level of closeness that they had yet to explore with each other.

“You think?” Bucky drawled, holding Clint’s hand. “Knowing your luck, this will be the week Steve decided to come back.”

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Clint groaned, while Bucky laughed, and pushed Clint up. 

“You should probably put on a shirt,” Clint observed; Bucky walked into the bedroom as Clint opened the door.

“Kate, I did not expect to see you today.”

Kate raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Clint, and walked into the apartment. “Clearly. Who’s the unfortunate soul who is…” Kate trailed off; Bucky had just walked out of the bedroom. “Hey Barnes.”

“Bishop,” Bucky nodded. Kate took in Bucky’s expression, before turning to Clint. 

“You?”

Clint looked at Kate confused. “What?”

Kate looked between the pair, before looking at the couch. “Can I sit on the couch? Nothing has happened on the couch, has it?”

“Nothing has happened on it Kate,” Clint rolled his eyes at Kate. Kate crossed her arms, staring at Clint defiantly.

“You’re telling me,” Kate whispered, just loud enough for Clint to hear, and for Bucky to not, “That you two aren’t doing what I know you’re doing?”

“No one’s doing anything Kate,” Bucky called, joining the pair. “Not yet anyway. What?” He asked when the pair stared at him. “I’m not the deaf one in this relationship.”

“Is that what this is?” Kate looked between the pair.

Bucky shrugged, looking at Clint. Clint also shrugged.

Kate threw her hands up in the air. “Well?”

“It could be a relationship?” Clint offered.

“I’d like it to be a relationship,” Bucky offered.

“Sounds good to me,” Clint smiled at Bucky, holding out a hand; Bucky walked over, and wrapped Clint around the shoulders.

“Did I just witness the forming of a relationship?”

Kate received two nods in unison.

“Yeah Hawkeye, you did.” 

 

\\\\\\\\\

 

One year after Steve left Bucky in Clint’s care, Steve returned. He was wearing the same outfit he had the last time.

“Bucky,” Steve nodded when Bucky opened the door.

“Steve,” Bucky nodded in return, before stepping back. “Come on in, make yourself at home. Clint’s out at the store, will be back any minute.”

“He leaves you alone?” Steve asked.

Bucky gave Steve a sardonic look as he took a seat on the kitchen bench, opposite Steve. “You’ve been gone a year. I figure the guy knows me better than you do at this point.”

Steve hung his head for a moment. “Yeah, I deserve that. The missions kept coming.”

“It’s fine Steve,” Bucky waited for Steve to look up, and gave him a smile. “I’m fine.”

“That’s good-” whatever Steve was going to say was cut off by the front door opening.

“Honey, I’m home!” Clint’s voice called out; Lucky bounded into the kitchen, before looking at Steve suspiciously.

“We have company,” Bucky called out, jumping down off the counter to pat Lucky. “Lucky, this is Steve. You can trust him.”

“Steve,” Clint dropped the groceries onto the counter top, and stared at Steve. “Steve’s back.”

“Yes, Steve’s back,” Bucky stood up, and put an arm around Clint’s shoulder. “You remember what Steve looks like, right?”

One look at Bucky’s expression, and Clint turned a confused look at Steve. “You know, I’m not sure. It has been a while.”

Steve looked at the pair; looked at the way Bucky’s arm was loose around Clint’s shoulders, while Clint’s arm snaked around Bucky’s waist. “I’m missing something.”

“It has been a year,” Bucky drawled. “You’re missing a few things.”

“When I left you here a year ago, I did not expect a relationship to form.”

Bucky’s arm tightened imperceptibly around Clint. “You got a problem with that?”

Steve shook his head.

“Good,” Bucky turned to give Clint a chaste kiss. “Now, who is hungry?”

Bucky let go of Clint, and began preparing to make dinner. Clint looked at Steve.

“You know, I wasn’t expecting this conversation to be so easy.”

“You don’t know me, Clint.”

Clint laughed. “I am aware, Cap. We ran one mission together, then you gave me an assignment.”   
“It turned out well for you though.”

Clint shrugged, hopping up onto the counter. Steve bent down to pat Lucky, who was sitting at his feet.

“Be glad,” Clint waited for Steve to look up at him before pointing at Lucky. “Lucky doesn’t trust people easily. Seems to like you though.”

Bucky laughed, but didn’t turn around from the pots. “That’s because they’re both golden mutts. Kindred spirits.”

Clint laughed, while Steve stood up and threw Bucky a half hearted glare. “That wasn’t funny seventy years ago.”

“I think it’s funny,” Clint smiled. Bucky turned and winked at Clint. 

“I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“And here I thought it was just for my body.”

Bucky shrugged, turning back to preparing food. “That too.”

“Wait,” Clint turned to Steve. “Why are you here?”

Steve smiled. “Was wondering when you’d ask. I have an offer for you. Both of you.”

Bucky turned off the gas, and came to stand next to Clint. “We’re listening.”

“The Avengers have expanded. Two bases of operation; the Tower, and the Base. I’m here to offer you both a place at the Tower, and a place on the Avengers.”

“What’s the catch?”

Steve turned a confused expression to Bucky. “Catch?”

“The Avengers have been running around for a year, yet you haven’t once invited Clint. Why now?”

Steve ran a hand through his hair as he contemplated his answer. “The past year has been…” Steve leant back to rest against the counter before continuing. “Stressful. HYDRA, AIM, rebuilding SHIELD. Back to back missions haven’t left us with much downtime. Even if we wanted to, we haven’t had the time to discuss expanding membership. Or reinstating. We have to do everything by the book, and by the book, Clint wasn’t ready, nor was he ever an Avenger.”

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Clint offered. 

Steve nodded. “We all were. But now, we’re at a place that let’s us expand. And able to officially ask you both to join. It is up to you though.”

Clint and Bucky turned to face each other.

[We say yes, right?] 

[Of course] Clint rolled his eyes at Bucky.

Bucky furrowed his brows. [We’re going to string Steve along a bit, right?]

[Of course] Clint mirrored Bucky’s serious expression.

[Make it look like we’re fighting?]

[Make him worry about us.]

Bucky looked at Steve from the corner of his eye, noting the worried look on his face. “Stop worrying Steve, we’re in.”

Clint also smiled. “Yeah. Official Avengers.”

“What about Lucky?” Steve bent down to pat the dog, who had fallen asleep in the kitchen.

Clint thought for a moment, before pulling out his phone. “I have an idea.”

When Bucky saw who Clint was calling, he nodded. “That’ll work.”

Steve was about to ask, when Clint began talking.

“You down in the range?.... Come up to the apartment. Why? Katie, Captain America is here.”

Clint hung up with a smile on his face. “She doesn’t believe me.”

“Of course she doesn’t. You lie to her all the time.”

“No I don’t,” Bucky raised an eyebrow at Clint, who quickly backtracked. “I don’t like to her  _ all  _ the time.”

“Who is Katie?” Steve asked, when the door opened.

“Barton I swear if you’re lying again…” Kate trailed off, arriving in the apartment. “You’re Captain America.”

Steve stood up, and offered his hand. “Steve’s fine.”

Kate shook the hand, then punched Clint. “I can’t believe you were telling the truth.”

“I tell the truth sometimes,” Clint rolled his eyes. “Anyways, how do you feel about living here?”

Kate took a step back. “With you two lovebirds? No thanks.”

“We’re moving out Kate,” Bucky saved the conversation. “But not to a place wholly suitable to a dog.”

Kate looked at Lucky. “You know I can’t look after him full time right?”

“Duh,” Clint said, drawing her attention. “He’d be fine with the neighbours. Do you want the place or…”

Kate nodded. “Yes, yes. It’d make a great base.”

Clint narrowed his eyes. “Base?”

Kate looked away from Clint. “I’m going to go get some stuff. Thank you.”

Kate left the apartment, leaving a confused Steve staring at Clint.

“Who was that?”

“Hawkeye,” Clint explained unhelpfully.

“The best Hawkeye,” Bucky elaborated, causing Clint to poke him in the ribs. “What? It’s true.”

“Yeah,” was all Clint said, resting his head on Bucky’s shoulder.

“And you’re going to leave Lucky with her?”

“Lucky loves her more than he loves me,” Clint offered. “Besides, I can come back and see him whenever.”

“When do we become Avengers?”

“Tomorrow, if you want,” Steve shrugged. “I should probably get back there, I was only meant to be gone a little while. I’ll text you the details.”

“You know, I did expect more words about my relationship status,” Bucky observed.

Steve threw a smile over his shoulder. “We’re going to be living together, seeing each other every day. I’ll have plenty of time for that Bucky. See you later.”

When the door shut, Bucky moved so that he head was resting on Clint’s shoulder, arms around his waist.

“We just agreed to live with Steve,” he mumbled into Clint’s shoulder.

Clint tapped on his back. “You’re gonna have to speak up. Or, you know, not mumble into my shoulder.”

Bucky stood up, and gave Clint a kiss in apology. “Merely complaining about the fact that we are going to be living with Steve.”

Clint hummed, wrapping his arms around Bucky’s neck. “Just means we can take every opportunity to mess with him.”

Bucky laughed against Clint’s lips. “Knew there was a reason I liked you so much.”

“Two reasons in one day? WHat is this, my birthday?”

Bucky rolled his eyes at Clint. “Just accept the praise, Barton.”

Clint responded by pulling Bucky into another kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> I stopped there, because the word count hit 3,456.
> 
> Thank you for reading, you're all amazing.  
> See you next week :D


End file.
